Method of making liquid sodium amalgam.



PAIENT OFFICE.

.HERBERT P. EWELL, 0F nn'r'noir, MICHIGAN.

METHOD OF MAKING LIQUID SODIUM AMALGAM.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT P. EWELL, a. citizen'of the United States, residin at Detroit, in the county oi, Wayne, tate of Michigan, have invented a Method of Making Liquid Sodium Amalgam; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of th invention, such as will enable others shine in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a method of making liquid sodium amalgam for use in extracting gold and silver from their ores, and consists in the several steps. hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to afford a novel method of manufacturing sodium amalgam, wherein provision is made for maintaining the alloy or amalgam of sodium and mercury in a liquid state to enable itto beemployed in an amalgamatiug machine, in which the ore pulp is brought into contact with the mercury rendered active by the presence of the sodium.

In carrying out my invention I employ apparatus in which the amalgam is made,

similar t6 that shown in United States Letters Patent No. 841,006 issued to me on the 8th day otJanuary, 19Q7,- a reference to which will enable a complete understanding" to be had of the method described herein In applying my invention I use a 'suitzfb' receptacle in which is contained a 'body -o mercury. Over the surface of this more; I' maintain a stratum of paraflin, .or analor: gous material, to exclude the air thenefro The sodium is containe infa suit tainer and provision is made for ing it from'said container into then erc' through the stratum of arafiin in s: quantities as may be desiredlor found nee sary. To prevent the hardening oftlile sodiu'" upon the su'rfaceof the mercury' attsl fpd where the mercury and 'fsodium' ,a'emingled, I employsuitahle mfeans'f tating the mercury'so as to draw these into the body thereof and e ect a thorjou mixing of the sodium an mercury.

this means I am always able to maintain tlie, I

mercury in eztcess of the sodium-at the oint I Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 2, 1909. Serial No. 470,427.

y l i'fl i-Makil-ig liquid sodium amal' of introduction of the latter into the former,

whereb the alloy or amalgam resulting from tiemixture of the sodlum and mercury is maintained in a liquid state so that it may be conveniently introduced into an amalgamating machine.

It will be understood that in order to maintain the mercury in an amalgamating machine at its hi hest state of efficiency, a constant suppl. 0 sodium amalgam thereto must be provi ed for in order to reduce the -oxids, sulfide, etc., which are continually encountered in the ore. Sodium amalgam made iu accordance'with this method is always in a liquid state, and for that reason it can be constantly supplied in such quantity as may be required, to the amalgamating machine and 'maybe introduced with the ore 'ulp which is fed-into the machine or may e directed into the well of amalgamating material in "the machine overwhich the ore passes. By excluding air from the surface of the mercury at'the pointwhere the sodium is introduced the into, the violent chemical act io which vlvvould;"otheris vise take ,place is avo1ded','mal ihg it possible to form a sodium amalgam by adirect introduction of a comt elyjsmall q entity of sodium into .a

1 large body of mercury.

h'gft us v fully set forth my invention,

'm as new and desire to'seeure b h s l M he I;

ercur-y, excluding air there-i n o tofunion o 2."'Me'thod 10fl'm'akin liquid sodium am, whichjeonsists in mixing a minor .11 of, sodium with a major portion of y and-sex u ding the air therefrom g the opera on' of mixing.

0 aim-and maintaining the mercury in of-the. sodium.

am for t yme Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

at making liquid sodium h consists in introducing" :of ntroduction, and main 5 of mercur over the so-{ said elements.

sflparatitgg gold and silver from t eir ores' uclng a minor portion ofsodium' Method For making liqu d sodium am which-consists in commi nghng soand mercury in the absence of atmosr into a major portion of mercury in the ab- In-testimony whereof, I sign this spebifi' sencefif gtmospileric in. 1 d cation in the presence of two Witnesses.

5. et 0d 0 ma ing iqui so ium amalgam which consists in covering the sur- HERBERT EWVELL' 5 face of merqury with material for exclud- Witnesses I ing air therefrom and int-roducmg sodium O. B. BAENZIGER,

into said mercury through said material I. G. HOWLETT. 

